


Take My Heart Back

by Maximoff (britishatheart)



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, One Shot, Post Avengers (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-30
Updated: 2012-08-30
Packaged: 2017-11-13 04:59:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/499758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/britishatheart/pseuds/Maximoff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki has been banished to Midgard once more, stripped of his powers and taking on an every day life as a powerless, fallen god. Adapting to human life, Loki begins to witness what he had feared - love. Natasha, the cold soviet, falls victim to his charm once more and things take a turn for the worse. One-Shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Take My Heart Back

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CamelotLady](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CamelotLady/gifts).



> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story. Characters are from Marvel's The Avengers and title from the song "Take My Heart Back" by Jennifer Love Hewitt.
> 
> Author's Note: I've been asked to write a fic in which Loki is human and sick and it all ends up with him and Natasha cuddling and falling asleep together... though I feel the need to warn you all that this isn't a fluffy, happy and bubbly fic. It's very angsty to be honest. But other than that, I'd like to thank my beautiful Beta, royswordsman, for helping me with this story. And to those who are reading, don't forget to review! Thank you very much.

_I can hardly remember the last time I felt so hopeless. In fact, now that I'm thinking about it, I don't think such thing ever happened before, ever..._

_It didn't happen when Odin had informed me of my true nature. It didn't happen when the All-Father banished me from Asgard and sentenced me to spend the rest of my powerless, ordinary existence amongst those once I sought to rule..._

_The sensation of being completely and utterly powerless - and that having nothing to do with my former ability to perform sorcery - is something entirely new to me and not in a good way. It slowly drives me insane, angers me to the core and ends up consuming all of my strength; leaving me exhausted, exhausted of fighting the inevitable, the unchangeable. Exhausted of trying to fix what simply cannot be fixed. As much as I hate it, it is what it is._

_Some may say I deserve it. For everything I did. But I don't know what to think. I'm actually done thinking. I'm just done..._

_It's been nine days, fourteen hours and a little over twenty minutes and I'm exhausted; mentally, physically and emotionally drained._

_Yes, I've been keeping track of time. No, I'm not joking or trying to impress anyone. When something like this happens to you, you just don't forget, even though you try. And I tried..._

* * *

Natasha let out a heavy sigh as she tossed her phone onto her bed. Her umpteenth attempt to contact him didn't succeed and her call ended up reaching the voicemail one more time. She rubbed her face with both hands before running her fingers through her curly red hair.

It's been over a week since she last heard of the unnerving, maddening, incredibly charming and, good Lord, so amazingly handsome demi-god.

It didn't really matter that he was no longer a god of any sort, but to Natasha, the dark-haired man with green eyes and a cunning smile would always be a god. _Her_ god.

Ever since he was banished from Asgard and sentenced to share his days -until the very last one- with humans, like a human himself, Loki always managed to find a way to get to Natasha. Always.

At first, he still had that attitude of his and, even though he was no better than anyone else in this planet since he felt so powerless and even somewhat human at points, he insisted on acting like he was somehow superior to everyone else after all, he was an Asgardian nonetheless.

The first time she saw him again was quite a shock. She accidentally spotted the god of Mischief wandering through the streets of New York. He was wearing casual "Earth-like" clothes: tailored black trousers, gray dress shirt, black jacket and social dark leather shoes.

Natasha was just walking to the Stark Tower after spending some time at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters when something across the street caught her attention. Her Russian spy slash highly trained assassin self kicked in and she stopped on her tracks and scanned the surroundings; it took her a moment to find the reason why her _spidey senses_ were tingling but she did not miss it. It was actually impossible for her to miss him. The way he moved, like he was some kind of model walking down the runway, it was his distinctive mannerisms that Natasha would recognize even in amongst a crowd. He'd made a huge impression on her - and not a good way.

So when she saw him, walking through the 24th Avenue, Natasha shifted to her operative mode and went after him. She had her gun concealed beneath her black trench coat and Clint on her speed dial. In case her fighting skills plus her weapon couldn't handle Loki, she'd have a mini squad from S.H.I.E.L.D. to back her up, only by touching a button.

Needless to say the whole nine yards was totally unnecessary. But Natasha Romanoff did not know that - yet. So she instantly turned on her heels, crossed the road and followed the creature that had brought all of her ghosts back to life.

There was something different about Loki, though Natasha didn't notice it. But then again, she wasn't looking for something out of the ordinary in Loki's body expression - the only thing out of the ordinary in that scenario was Loki - so the fact that there was something slightly melancholic, maybe even agonizing about the man wandering aimlessly down the street, had gone unnoticed.

It was only when she cornered him in an empty alley a few yards further that Natasha saw how different this Loki was. For a moment, she thought she was facing someone who just looked _a lot_ like Loki; he had the same features, the same shoulder length dark hair, everything about him was incredibly identical to the crazy god that she met a while back - except the expression of surprise, mixed with what could possibly be feartas he addressed her she drew her gun and targeted it toward him.

The look on the man's face made Natasha hesitate and she took a step back and internally worry over the fact that she was pointing her gun at a civilian. Could her sharp and keen senses be _this_ wrong?! That never happened before! But as she studied the man in front of her and looked deep into his eyes, she realized she wasn't wrong. That wasn't a complete random stranger that unfortunately happened to be Loki's Midgardian twin... Surprisingly enough Natasha was, once again, face to face with Loki of Asgard. The god of Mischief that was, according to his own words, "burdened with glorious purpose". Though, if she were to be honest, it looked like he was burdened with glorious pain.

Natasha was taken aback by her sudden realization so she was at a loss for words for a while. In fact, it was Loki who spoke first, and even his voice sounded different; he didn't sound cocky or confident... it sounded wary, damaged.

They exchanged a few short and evasive words but, ultimately, Natasha was too astounded with what she was seeing and Loki was still trying to cope with his new - and, apparently permanent - situation so they just ended up parting their ways rather amicably.

She didn't mention her unexpected and unusual encounter with Loki to Nick Fury or anyone for that matter - not even Clint ever heard of that weird evening, although he noticed something off and asked her some questions, which she majestically evaded.

But, even though she was thoroughly avoiding talking about Loki (or this weird version of the Asgardian god of Mischief), that didn't mean she wasn't thinking about him, because she was. She was totally thinking about Loki, every time, every day. It was impossible not to let her mind wander back tothe expression plastered on his face and the look in his eyes, they were things that had burned themselves into Natasha's mind. Whenever she blinked she could see Loki looking right back at her, and when she touched the butt of her gun, she would remember the look in his eyes when she pointed it to him when she pushed him against the brick wall.

For a few weeks after the New York incident, Loki haunted Natasha's dreams, keeping her awake at night; making her face the skeletons she had in her closet. It took her a while, but she got over that. She got over Loki and his mind tricks. And now he was back. Loki made his way back, worming himself into Natasha's mind, though things were different this time. It was different because she wasn't facing her demons; she was wondering about Loki's demons. Every night, when she got back home, she though about Loki and what on Earth (or whatever other realms out there) could have happened to him? Literally, the possibilities were endless. Though she had a chance to shed some light upon that mystery about two weeks later.

It wasn't easy and she had to use her tracking skills to find Loki again, but she succeeded. Twelve days after she stumbled upon Loki on the streets, Natasha found him again.

_#  
_

_"Agent Romanoff."_

_Even though Loki was trying to keep his act, pretending that he was the same person that fought the Avengers months ago, there were traces of sorrow in Loki's words that anyone could detect - Natasha was definitely no exception. Though she didn't mention it, instead, she walked towards the table the dark-haired man was occupying and sat across from him._

_They were at a small yet very elegant French bistro in the Upper East Side. Much like the neighborhood, the place was way too fancy for Natasha's liking - probably a place for Tony - but she wasn't there for the ostentation._

_"To what do I owe the honor," Loki said nonchalantly as a waiter brought them some champagne (courtesy of the house)._

_Natasha only waited until they were alone once again and she blurted out the one question that had been bothering her for the past days. "What the hell are you doing here?"_

_Loki addressed a blank look as he reached for his glass and gracefully sipped from it. "Dinner," he said simply, placing the glass back on the table. "I heard this place had an excellent chef who came from Versailles, Franc-"_

_"That is not what I meant," Natasha interrupted. "What are you doing here, in Manhattan,_ again _?"_

_She could see a small smirk playing with the corner of Loki's lips, but he held it back. Still, it bothered Natasha._

_"I am... visiting."_

_"Visiting?" She arched an eyebrow and shifted slightly in her chair._

_"I believe that's what I just said," Loki replied softly._

_"And destroying some more of New York is on your list of things to do while visiting?"_

_It was a valid and very reasonable question Natasha told herself, but the look in Loki's face as she said those words out loud made her re-think about her question. What was it that he looked- offended?_

_"Not quite."_

_Loki's words were cold and flat and, honestly, they left Natasha speechless. What the hell...?_

_She was still processing everything when the waiter appeared again. He wanted to know what they would have for dinner._

_Even though they were at a restaurant, food was the last thing on Natasha's mind, so when the man, so elegantly dressed, turned to her; she just muttered something along the lines of "I'll have whatever he's having"._

_"Whatever games you're playing," Natasha spoke again when the waiter left them once again. "You wo-"_

_"I'm not playing any games, Agent Romanoff," Loki interrupted her. His green eyes were fixed on Natasha._

_"Well, that's funny, coming from you."_

_Natasha held Loki's gaze for a few seconds; neither one spoke one single word. And then, much to the Russian spy's surprise, Loki just shrugged and looked down, apparently re-reading the menu._

_Their food arrived faster than Natasha expected; she was dumbfounded by the whole situation. She didn't know what she was really expecting when she showed up at that French bistro; she knew Loki would be there and she knew he'd be alone... but she figured he knew she would show up as well - he was the freaking god of Mischief, so in theory it should be pretty easy for him to figure out her next move. But then again, he didn't do anything to provoke her or even show signs of an interrogation. He didn't ask her about S.H.I.E.L.D. and whether they were on to him or not. He didn't threaten her, saying he'd kill her this time. Apparently, he wasn't even trying to play his mind games and get into her head..._

_"Hmm... This salmon is divine," Loki said, bringing Natasha back to reality. "You should try yours."_

_The red-head blinked and stared at the man sitting in front of her. Loki was wearing some grey dress shirt and a black vest over it. No lavishly designed jacket to accompany it; he looked incredibly normal, just like when she saw him walking through the streets of New York. And, apparently, he was just having a normal dinner._

_"Is this some sort of brand new mind trick?" Natasha asked; her brows were furrowed. "Some passive technique to get inside my head and scre-"_

_"How many times I will have to repeat myself?" Loki spoke, and this time, he sounded slightly annoyed. "There are no mind tricks, Agent Romanoff. Now, would you please let me enjoy my meal?"_

_Natasha went silent. She was completely lost. What the hell was going on inside that twisted mind of Loki's? But she decided to give him some space. So she grabbed her cutlery and ate her salmon. She really wasn't a huge fan of salmon but turns out this one was actually nice, which made her wonder... how exactly Loki found this particular place? What he was up to all this time? What he is up to?_

_"Did you know I would come today?" she asked casually, placing her fork and knife down._

_"No," he answered, and it sounded genuine to Natasha. "But I was hoping that you would.."_

_"So..."_

_"Not a plan," he spoke before she could say anything._

_"I don't get it."_

_"What don't you get, Agent Romanoff?"_

_"You," she admitted. "What you are doing." Truth be told, Natasha was going crazy with paranoia. She tried to crack the Asgardian, to read his intentions but, so far, she got nothing. It seriously seemed like Loki was up to nothing, and that was just not possible... Was it?_

_"I'm not doing anything..."_

_"Why are you here? Why are you back?"_

_There was a moment of silence and Loki just looked at Natasha. That man had the best poker face she had ever seen, considering she had worked with the KGB in the past, and they were famous for having faces of stone during an interrogation and yet, she couldn't crack him, it was indeed the best poker face she had ever witnessed. The best. And then, just like moments ago, Loki let out a sigh and broke the eye contact._

_"I did not choose to return," he said, though his voice was quite low. Natasha furrowed her brows at his words. What he meant by he did not choose? What- "I was forced to."_

_"Forced to?"_

_"Yes."_

_"By who?"_

_"Odin All-Father."_

_Natasha's frown grew bigger. Odin?_

_"After I returned to Asgard, I had to face a trial. It wasn't exactly a trial, but I was brought to Odin and he would decide what my fate would be..." Natasha sat straight and looked intently at Loki. "The All-Father, along with a few Asgardians thought I deserved to be sent to the Isle of Silence, and spend the rest of my existence alone... but Thor intervened. He said I shouldn't be sentenced to live alone for the rest of my days. He said... he said the fittest sentence for my reckless actions to return to Midgard- Earth."_

_"So... Thor thought it was a good idea to send you back to the very same place you tried to destroy?" Natasha said, crossing her arms across her chest. "Seriously?"_

_Loki nodded. "And Odin agreed."_

_"I question the self proclaimed noble intentions of the Asgardians," Natasha muttered and Loki couldn't help but half smile. "So... You're here... as a punishment."_

_"Precisely."_

_"I'm missing the part where you're actually being punished for trying to destroy Earth..."_

_"First of all, I wasn't trying to destroy your realm."_

_"Right," Natasha said, half mocking. "You wanted to rule everything, turning our planet into your own kingdom."_

_"Something like that... And second of all, I am being punished in a way that I no longer have my powers."_

_Natasha's eyes widened and she leaned forward a little bit. "What?"_

_"You heard me. I was sentenced to live in your realm... and I now resemble your kind."_

#

So Loki was back and - _surprise, surprise_ \- he was no longer a threat. The god of Mischief had fallen, and he was now a human. Talk about some plot twist!

After that unexpected and very surprising evening at the French bistro, Natasha met Loki again. And again. And again.

Took her some getting used to because sometimes, when she looked at Loki, she still saw that crazy god that had came to Earth with the mission of taking over it. Though, with time, she learned some new things about him that didn't exactly erased his past and the memories she already had, but they worked so that Natasha could create new memories while she discovered this new side of him.

First of all, she noticed that his eyes were different; they had assumed a green color, replacing the blue tone that she'd seen when he was trapped inside the hellicarrier. His green eyes were softer, nicer even. Less threatening and more amicable.

Then, there was his kindness. It surprised Natasha how Loki could be so incredibly kind. He was attentive, gentle, he even smiled (something that Natasha never even dreamed of) and had this unique laugh that the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent found so incredibly beautiful and sounded like music to her ears.

This was a completely different Loki, and Natasha liked him a lot. So much that they ended up together, as in a couple. Unexpected, sure, but like Natasha Romanoff recently discovered, Loki was quite the unexpected type.

And that's how she ended up there. In her apartment, trying to reach him though with no luck.

Loki never vanished.

Well, sure they would go days, weeks even without seeing each other, but he never went MIA. Never. They would always talk over the phone, sometimes an e-mail, text messages at most, but they would always reach each other.

So when Loki didn't answer Natasha's phone calls nor returned them, when he didn't reply her texts or e-mails, the Russian started to worry.

Natasha had reached the point where she was seriously considering invading S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters and use all technology they had to find Loki. But she decided against it because she was not that kind of woman who'd freak out because she was having a hard time finding her boyfriend… even though it was really eating her alive the whole being ignored shit.

Where the hell could Loki be? He was not at his place because Natasha had been there every day and it was completely empty and, aside his rather fancy apartment in Yorkville, it wasn't like Loki had too many hideouts and it wasn't like he could escape to another realm or anything… he wasn't a god anymore. So, where?

She spared a glance at her oddly still phone.

No. She was not going to call him again. Whatever it was that Loki was up to, she would not lose her grip on the situation. She had been through so much more in her life than to start obsessing over a man. Just no.

But then again, it wasn't just a man. It was her man. It was Loki.

Natasha then let out a deep sigh and shook her head. _Jesus, woman, try thinking about something else, would you?_

Trying very hard to push whatever thoughts about Loki aside, Natasha quickly changed into her pajama pants and put on a tank top. It was night already and even though she just never knew when S.H.I.E.L.D. was going to call her with a crazy assignment, she needed to get comfortable and busy. The first part was a done deal, now for the second…

Natasha left her room and slowly crossed the dark apartment, heading towards the kitchen.

There was a time when Natasha would detect the slightest disturbance in a familiar environment. There was a time when nothing would ever surprise the famous Black Widow. There was a time… and it was not now.

Natasha was just walking through her dimly lit room when something a low voice made her stop in her tracks and instinctively reach for the gun that was no longer resting on her hip. She mentally cursed her idea of changing, though she dismissed the though as soon as the lights went on and she noticed who her unexpected visitor was.

"Loki…"

"I'm sorry if I startled you," he said softly.

Natasha wasn't sure which emotion was the strongest. If it was her disappointment within herself for not noticing the fact that there was someone else in her own house, or if it was the relief that was washing over her when she saw the dark-haired man standing there. The latter should be winning because as soon as the shock started to subside, she closed the space between them.

"No. It's okay… I'll get over it," she reassured him. "What happened? I've been trying to reach you and… what's wrong?"

Now that she was standing right in front of him, Natasha could see something that made her truly worry. There was something wrong with him. He wasn't hurt or anything, but his eyes were bearing far too much sadness and pain.

"It is nothing," he dismissed the question.

Obviously, Natasha didn't buy that; she knew a lie when she heard one. "Don't lie to me Loki," she said, her right hand cupping his left cheek and also preventing him from averting his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"It is nothing that you should worry about, my dear."

Natasha inhaled deeply. "Then tell me," she insisted.

Her eyes were blazing though his very soul and Loki swallowed hard. That's the reason why he'd been avoiding Natasha. He knew, once they were together again, this would happen, and he didn't want that to happen. He didn't want her to know what he's been through. He didn't want to think about that any longer… He had done his thinking and it was just pointless.

Loki sighed tiredly and let his eyes drift to the floor. "Natasha, please..."

"Don't." She quickly interrupted him and held his face between her both hands, forcing him to look at her. "Don't do this. Whatever it is, just tell me. I'm pretty sure I earned the right to know it since you've been gone for over a week now! _Please._ "

* * *

_This is the moment I've been dreading. The one moment I've been avoiding. Because, apparently, Natasha knows me so well and she can tell me when there's something wrong even when I try to conceal it behind heavy doors. She just knows._

_But then again, it's not like I tried to hide it from her. I know it's something I can't keep from her. I have to tell her because, somehow, it's gonna affect her, too. There's just no way out of this and it's gonna be ugly._

* * *

Neither one said a word for a while. The seconds stretched into what seemed as though they could have been years but they both remained silent. Natasha knew that, whatever it was that Loki was holding, she shouldn't rush him into telling her. In fact, as time went by, she started to wonder whether she liked to know what it was in the first place. Useless. Because she needed to know. It was a necessity now.

Loki also took his time.

The almost ten days he had been away from Natasha worked so he could accept what he was going through. He just didn't like the fact that he was going to drag Natasha into that.

Natasha, who had been by his side for months now. Natasha, who taught him how to see life as a mere mortal through a different perspective. Natasha, who made him feel like he wasn't a monster anymore…

How could he do that? Bring more drama to her life? She helped him and now…

"Loki…"

Her soft and low voice reached Loki's ears and it sounded way more beautiful than anything he has ever heard, albeit sad. It pained him that he was causing her that and still, he hadn't even told her…

He placed his hands over Natasha's and closed his eyes. Her warm touch was bringing tears to his eyes. He couldn't postpone this any longer, not prolong it.

"I'm sick." Saying those words, even though were really, really painful, it was also a bit cathartic. It hurt him saying it out loud more than he expected it to, but he felt slightly better after doing so.

Natasha stared into Loki's green eyes for a while as the words were being processed. "What do you mean, you're sick?"

"It means what it means," Loki said and his voice was as loud as a whisper. "I am not… well."

"But… what is it? I mean, what are you feeling?"

Natasha quickly shifted from stunned to concern. She took a small step back and her eyes studied Loki. There was really nothing that suggested an illness, and that's when she started to freak out. Really freak out. Because there was more to that than Loki was telling her. She knew it.

"Right now, I'm not feeling anything," he said as he reached out for her, but Natasha pushed his hands away.

"You're not just sick… are you?"

Natasha's words were rather cold and it made Loki swallow hard. She asked him a question, but he could see in her eyes that she wasn't really waiting for an answer.

"Natasha…"

"Do not Natasha me," she hissed through teeth. Her blood was starting to boil in her veins. "Tell me. TELL ME!"

He shivered with her angry reaction. It wasn't exactly what he was expecting and it also brought painful memories back… "No, I'm not."

"What is it?"

"Please, Nat-"

"What. Is it?"

"Brain tumor."

Those two words hit Natasha with so much strength that she went numb. Her brain stopped processing anything, her heart had stopped beating. She felt like the world had opened beneath her feet and she was falling.

She was right. Loki wasn't just sick. He had a brain tumor. A freaking brain tumor! She wished she had been wrong.

"How bad?"

"Natasha."

"How... Bad?"

Loki sighed. There was really no point in arguing, he just wanted to not talk about it. He just wanted to hold her in his arms and get lost in her warmth.

"The doctor said it's inoperable," he admitted. And just like that, he could see the incredulous look in her eyes; should match the one he had when he first heard about that.

Natasha widened her eyes and she could even feel her jaw slightly open. _This is not happening..._

She shook her head and, once she had regained her ability to speak again, she told him, "we'll see another doctor. Have a second opinion..."

"Natasha..."

He had tried to reach the red-head, but she stepped back once more. "No. Don't you dare. We'll see another specialist on the matter an-"

"I already did." Loki closed the space between the two of them and, regardless of Natasha's resistance; he grabbed her arms and held her near him. "I went to three different doctors, and they all said the same..."

"No..."

"This is it, love."

"NO!"

Natasha struggled to free herself from Loki's grip but her strength was no match to his. Loki didn't let go of her, because he knew what she was feeling on a much deeper level and he knew for a fact that, even though she was pushing him away, though in actuality what she really needed was for him to hold her.

Natasha felt Loki's arms close around her, keeping her in his embrace, and, just like that, she crumbled.

For the first time in a very long while, Natasha broke down. She wrapped her arms tightly around Loki's waist, pressed her face against his chest and let go. Tears were flowing down her eyes like a waterfall but it wasn't like she cared about how she was looking or what others would think. She didn't care about any of that because she was losing the best thing in her life. She was losing the one thing that made her happy. She was losing the most important part of her life, which, surprisingly enough, was Loki.

So she cried. She wept. The famous and feared Black Widow was suddenly reduced to a mass of tears and sobs. It was truly heartbreaking.

Not even Loki, who believed he had already gotten over his phase of weeping for his own fate, couldn't hold back the tears and the onslaught of emotions that were taking over him. He held onto Natasha as tightly as he could and eased them both to the ground, where they sat. He then pulled her to his lap and buried his head into her hair.

The two of them sat there for as long as it was necessary. It took some time but eventually, Natasha calmed a bit and the tears stopped falling.

The front of Loki's shirt was soaked wet but he didn't mind. He didn't mind anything at the moment, except Natasha.

He felt awful because he knew he was responsible for her breakdown. If only she never found him when he was walking through the streets of New York. If only she never appeared at the French Bistro. If only he had lived his mortal life alone. If only he hadn't fallen for this exquisite red-headed. _If only..._

His life would probably suck and he'd be miserable, but at least he'd be going through this rough path alone, not dragging anyone with him and, most definitely, not being responsible for someone's tears and broke heart... But at the same time that he contemplated that scenario, he condemned himself for even thinking about that. Because Natasha was the single most important thing for him right now.

He placed a soft kiss on her forehead while his right hand caressed her back.

After a few moments, Natasha had stopped crying as her breathing pattern began to regulate once more. Loki glanced at the watch on the computer table and learned it was already three forty five in the morning. He had no clue how long they've been there, but he figured it had been a long while. He then glanced at Natasha and noticed she had her eyes closed.

Ever so gently, he stood up, taking Natasha with him and walked towards her bedroom.

He noticed her phone lying in the middle of her bed and he felt really bad for leaving her in the dark for all these days...

"Of all the things in this realm… ," he whispered in her ear once he had placed her in bed. He was lying right next to her, keeping her close to him. "…You are the one I'm going to miss the most..."

"Loki, please... don't..."

Natasha's voice was nothing but a whisper but he knew she listened. She wasn't asleep.

"It's okay," he told her as he placed a kiss on her temple. "Things are going to be okay..."

"No, they aren't," she said, rolling over so she was now facing him.

"Yes, they will," he said and, much to Natasha's surprise, a small smile played with the corner of Loki's lips. "I've seen enough to know how strong you are... You'll make it through. You'll be okay."

Once again, tears invaded Natasha's eyes and her vision got blurry. "I need you," she whispered as she reached a hand to touch Loki's face. He leaned into her touch and closed his eyes for a second.

Yes. He'd miss that dearly...

"I'm right here."

"I need you always..."

Loki opened his eyes and the image of Natasha took his breath away. Her eyes were red and puffy, her head was a mess, her nose was red but still, she was the most stunning thing he ever laid eyes on. Because she was real. And what she said was real. She would really miss him... The thought made him feel a sharp pain in his heart and he had to swallow hard.

"I promise you. As long as you need me, I will never leave you, love." He brought his hand to her face and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "You will always find me here," he said touching gently her temple. Then, his hand made its way towards her chest and he placed it right above her heart. "And here."

Tears started to fall from Natasha's eyes once again. She never thought she'd care so much about anyone and yet, there she was. She cared for Loki more than anything in this world.

It wasn't fair. She didn't want to lose him. Hell, he was still there and she couldn't bear the thought of losing him. It really wasn't fair.

Natasha let out a soft whimper and wrapped her arms around Loki once again. She rested her head right above her chest so she could hear and feel his strong heartbeats. He was still alive, and she would enjoy every second of the time she still had with him.

"I love you," she admitted softly.

Loki inhaled deeply and closed his arms around her. "I love you, too," he said, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head. "I love you, too..."

_**C'est Fini** _


End file.
